Dusty Johnson: “I thank Chairman Kohl and Senator Cochran for their extraordinary cooperation and leadership on this Agriculture…”

“I thank Chairman Kohl and Senator Cochran for their extraordinary cooperation and leadership on this Agriculture appropriations bill which funds the commodity and income support programs for farmers. It funds conservation programs, crop insurance, regulatory programs ensuring market competitiveness, rural development initiatives, value-added projects, agricultural research and security priorities, trade promotion initiatives, food safety, drug and medical services, and nutritional programs administered by the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. This bill contains $74.121 billion for these imperative programs which benefit all Americans. There is a lot of focus obviously here on farmers and ranchers, understandably so. Over half of the funding for these programs, in fact, goes for nutritional programs which benefit particularly low-income people as well as students all over America. This important appropriations legislation, of course, is separate from the farm bill debate which we hope to have on the floor of the Senate this year.”